Crafty Chloe Doll Bed

It's no secret that I love Heather Ross—her fabric, her illustrations, her patterns—so, it's no surprise that I ordered Crafty Chloe for Louisa as soon as it came out. The book is FANTASTIC. And, it inspired me (and Louisa) to do a little crafty crafting of our own, for Lou's twin friends who celebrated a birthday last weekend.

At the end of the book Chloe gives her friend Emma a doll bed she makes out of a clementine crate. There are instructions from Heather (via the Martha Stewart Show) on the Crafty Chloe website. We decided to give the twins their own copy of Crafty Chloe and a homemade pink doll bed, just like Emma's.

Echino Cars Toddler Backpack

Leo's backpack (or more accurately, toy train tote) gave me a chance to use Rae's Toddler Backpack pattern again, which has been updated to include lining and enlarging instructions since I made one last fall for Louisa.

For this one, I used Echino Mini Cars (from Echino Nico 2011) in green and brown (which I purchased while I was in New York a while back at Purl Soho). I interfaced with heavy weight pellon, and lined it with Michael Miller Lime Toot Toot from etsy. I'm not the first one to use the mini cars for a Rae Toddler Backpack, but it is a great fabric for boys, so no wonder.

I added two side pockets, one slip, one elasticized for a water bottle, just like last time. And I added an inside pocket and pencil slot, and a patch on the other side with his name and phone.